Automatic derailer for drawbridges.



0No. 738,297. PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

J. P. OOWING.

AUTOMATIC DERAILER FOR DRAWBRIDGES. APPLICATION Hymn AUG. 27, 1901.

No. 738,297. PATBNTED SEPT. 8. 1903.

4 J. P. GOWING.

AUTOMATIC DERAILER FOR DRAWBRIDGES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUIG... ZZ.. 1901A No. 738,297. PATENTED SEPT. 8,1903. v J. P. GOWING.

' AUTOMATIC DERAILER FOR DRAWBRIDGBS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1901.

lo MODEL. s SHEETS-SHEET a` CJ'CICICIDDCIEIDCI UNITED STATES 'Patentedseptember s, 190s.

PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN PHILO COVING, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,297, datedSeptember 8, 1903. Application ined August 27, 1961. saturo. 73,430. camode.)

To all whom, if may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN PHILO COWING, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga .and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Automatic Derailers for Drawbridges, of which the following is afull, clear, and eXact description.

rlhe object of the invention is to provide a new and improved gate withderailer and signal device more especially designed for use on draw orswing bridges on lines of railroads and arranged so that immediatelyprevious to opening the draw or swing the gates are automaticallyclosed, the derailer is set to run the traffic off to one side of thetrack, and a signal set to show that the bridge is open, and immediatelyafter closing the draw or swing the gates are automatically opened, thederailer set for clear traffic, and the signal shown that the bridge isready for traffic.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicateA corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure l shows a general arrangement of the gates, derailer, and signaldevice in plan. Fig. 2 shows an elevation of the gates when closed. Fig.3 shows the gates open and the end of the draw with operating mechanismfor the gates. Fig. 4 shows a topview of the operating mechanism for thegates. Fig. 5 shows an elevation of the operating mechanism for thederailer. Fig. 6 shows a top view of the operating mechanism for thederailer. Fig. 7 shows the lower end of the signal-pole with operatingmechanism. Fig. 8 shows a top view of the lower end of the signal-polewith operating device. Fig. 0 shows a transverse sectional view of thederailer. Fig. l0 shows a top View of the derailer. Fig. l1

shows a longitudinal section of the derailer. Fig. 12 shows a top viewof the signal-pole with semaphore-signal.

The gates illustrated in Figs. l and 2 and marked A and A` are arrangedso that the roadway-section A extends over the whole or half of theroadway B to close the saine and a sidewalk-section A' arranged toextend over the sidewalk C, a weight A2 being provided forcounterbalancing the longer roadway-section A. The gate A is providedwith the shaft D, whichis pivotallymounted in bearingsEandF. The saidshaft D is provided at its lower end with a lever L3, Figs. 2, 3, and 4,which connects to the rod L', which when moved causes the shaft torevolve about its vertical axis, thereby causing the gate to move intoan open or closed position; rlhe sidewalk-gate A is provided with ashaft D', Fig. 2, which is pivotally mounted on bearings E' and F2. Theshaft D' is provided with a gear Gat its upper end, which is in meshwith a similar gear G at the upper end of the shaft D, so that when theshaft D is revolved a rotary motion is also transmitted through thegears G to the shaft D', which is rigidly fastened to the gate A', andthereby causes the gates A and A' to open simultaneously toward thecenter of the draw or in the direction in which the traffic is going onthe draw after swinging into a closed position. It is plainly evidentthat the gates A and A' may be mounted on the shaft D and that one gatemay swing toward the center of the draw and the other away from thecenter of the draw, but l have shownthem in this case as both swingingtoward the center of the draw or swing bridge.

The rod R', Figs. 3 and 4, is extended beyond the lever L3 to receivethe rod R2, which is connected to the lever L4, Figs. 5 and 6, theleverL4 being rigidly fastened to the shaft D3. This shaft Dghas rigidlyfastened at its upper end the lever L5, which is connected to the rodR". The said rod R'l is extended to connect to a lever, Fig. l2, whichis part of the switchpoint,and when the rod R' is moved the rod R2,shaft D3, levers LA1 and L5, and rod R, all of which cause theswitclrpoint to open or close according to as the rods are moved. Theswitch-point is pivotally mounted on a shaft in a casing forming part ofthe track for the tread of the wheel to run on, and the Switchpoint isarranged to deflect the wheels on the main track or off to one side.vThe said switch-pointis provided with lugs to prevent anything fromfalling into the switchcasing. The casing is also provided with adrainage-hole to take away the water that may run down the track. Thecasing has a IOO . when the bridge is open or closed.

hole in one side to receive the rod R4, which is operated in a conduit,the said. conduit connecting to a hole in the side of said casing, whichwill permit the rod to have an obstructed movement between the lever onthe switch-point and the lever L5 at the top of the shaft D3, Figs. 5and 6. The rod R2 is eX- tended beyond the lever L4 to receive the rodR3, Fig. 7, which is extended to connect to the lever L6, which lever isrigidly fastened to the shaft.D4, Fig. 8, which is pivotally mounted toturn in the bearing B' and has vthe lever L7 rigidly fastened to theend, the

lever L7 being. arranged to extend inside of the pole, which is erecteda' suitable distance from the gates and has one fixed arm and onemovable arm which act as signals to show The pole is arranged to havethe rod R5 pass through the center of the pole and to connect to themovable arm RD,'Fig. l2. The rod may be arranged to pass to the movablearm on the outside of the pole, but for appearance have shown it insideof the said pole. The said lever L7 connects to the rod R5, Fig. 7. Thesaid rod connects to the movable arm RD at the top of the signal-pole P,Fig. 12. NV hen the said rod R3 moves, the levers LG and L?, and the rodR5, and movable arm RD of the signalpole moves up or down and therebycauses a signal to be given by displaying color of light to indicate theposition of the bridge at night. The fixed arm wt at the top of thesignal-pole is provided with a light which shows the signal at night,and during the day the position of the movable arm shows lthe positionof the bridge. The end of the said draw or swing span (shown in Fig. 3)is provided with a movable base H, which is moved up and down by thedrawbridge mechanism and engages the lever L2, which is rigidly fastenedtothe shaft I, said shaft I being pivotally mounted to turn in bearingsJ and having the lever L rigidly fastened. When the lever L2 moves, thelever L also moves, and by this movement the gates, derailer, and signalare operated simultaneously.

When the bridge is closed and the movable base H is down, the gates areforced open, the derailer is for clear track, and the signal displayedshows that the bridge is ready for traffic. Just previous to swingingthe movable base H is raised, and the eounterweight at the end of thelever L2 causes the gate to be closed and the derailerY set to derailall traffic, and a signal is displayed at a suitable distance from thebridge to show the position of the bridge, so as to give the trains achance to stop before reaching the open draw. The rods, levers, andshafts are operated in conduits which are prepared'to receive them.There are various other things which may be substituted for the leversand rods, such as chains, wire rope, chain-sheaves, dre. In place oflevers pulleys or chain-sheaves may be used,` but in this case I haveshown rods. I do not wish to confine myself to rods, however, as it isplainly evident that various other forms of transmitting 4power may beemployed. The principal feature of my invention lies in having a signaldisplayed a suitable distance from the bridge and to have the derailerset to derail traffic and the gates placed across the roadway, allimmediately before the bridge is swung, by using some of the mechanismon the bridge-such as rail-locks, latches, and jacks, &c., which causethe gates to be closed, the derailer set, and vthe signal displayed, allautomatically, before the bridge is swung, and to have the derailer setfor clear track, the gates opened, and a signal displayed to show thatthe bridge is closed, all automatically just after the bridge is closed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a derailing-switch, a casing, a switchpointmounted therein, a rod connected to the switch-point, an arm to whichthe rod is connected, a shaft on which the arm is carried, an arm on theshaft, a shaft having arms, a connection pivoted to the arms of theshafts, a lifting drawbridge having a movable base provided with a lug,a weighted 9 lever controlled by the base, and suitable connectionswhereby the movement of the weighted lever operates the track-switch, asand for the purpose described.

2. In a derailing-switch, a switch-point, shafts and connections forthrowing the switch-point, a lifting drawbridge having avertically-movable base, weighted levers controlled by the base andswitch connections whereby the movement of theaveighted lever iscommunicated to the switch-point.

JOHN PHIL() COWING.

Witnesses:

M. F. SIEGENTHALER, JAY R. AMMON.

